President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered to suspend the decision to send an elephant calf named “Dinuda” to Korea who was born on 18th May 2009, the day that ended the Humanitarian Operation.

Special Project Minister S.M. Chandrasena told our news team that the President issued the order after he informed the matter to the President.

Environmental groups charged yesterday that there was a preparation to send two elephant calves Dinuda and Udara to a private zoo in South Korea.

When our news team contacted the zoo authorities, they confirmed the plan to send the two calves to South Korea.

Minister Chandrasena later said that Dinuda was spared after the plan was disclosed to the President.

The attempt of our news team to contact Zoological Department Director General Anura de Silva to comment on the matter, failed as the Director General did not answer the phone.

Update :Wednesday, 12 March 2014 - 12:56------------------------------------------------'Dinudaa' born on the day of victory to be sent to a private zoo in Korea - Allegations from environment organizations.

Environment organizations charge that there is a preparation to send the elephant calf named ‘Dinudaa’ born on May 18th 2009 on which the Humanitarian Operation ended and another elephant calf to Korea.

Those organizations say that they are scheduled to be given to a private zoo in Korea.

In response to a query our news team made about this, the zoo department sources said that the elephant calves were scheduled to be given to Korea.

These elephant calves are five years old.

Currently these two elephant calves are at the Pinnawala Elephant orphanage.

Although we tried to contact Botanical Gardens and Public Entertainment Minister Jayaratne Herath to inquire about this, his telephone was inactive.

The attempt our news team made to contact the zoo director general and the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage authorities also was unsuccessful as they did not respond to the calls.